Gotten a bzillion Point of View submissions this week. Here's a Mother's Day piece from a Goldsboro mom offering her view of what's wrong with this country. Deborah Nowachek, the wife of an ob-gyn, retired from her 15-year career as an attorney-mediator to adopt, stay at home and homeschool her two children. Discuss among yourselves.

Redbox is offering a Mother's Day promotion that will take care of any movie-loving moms in your life. And you'll get a gift in return.

Here's the deal: Buy a digital gift card for five DVD rentals for $6, and you'll receive a free code to rent a movie.

What did you learn from your mom?

Or what did you learn from watching someone else be a mom?

The Chapel Hill News and The Durham News are seeking short reader essays about motherhood in time for Mother's Day. All the people who send us an essay will be entered in a random drawing for a free copy of Maya Angelou's new memoir "Mom & Me & Mom" or Richard Russo's "Elsewhere." (So you don't have to write the "best" essay, just send us one to be in the running.)

Try to keep your essay in the 200 to 400 word range. All entries must be received by 5 p.m. Monday, May 6, one week from today. Send them to editor@newsobserver.com with your photo and a photo of your mom if you like.

We'll pick two winners, and all the essays may get published in the newspaper.

Good luck, and Happy Mother's Day.

Mother's Day is Sunday, but there's no need to panic, even if you're short on cash.

This year, there are enough freebies to keep her busy all day long. And she definitely won't go hungry.

Keep reading for the complete list of freebies, which includes free DVD rentals, free admission to an IMAX movie, free breakfasts, free lunch, free desserts and more.

I'll continue to update the list as the week goes on so check back often.

Take advantage of this generous offer from Walgreens to get a FREE 8x10 photo enlargement.

A Mother's Day gift, perhaps? Or grad gift?

This post has been updated with Aldi deals.

There are some fantastic deals to be had at Triangle grocery stores this week -- with and without coupons.

At Harris Teeter, you can stock up on basics -- no coupons required. Milk is $2.77 per gallon, eggs are 97 cents per dozen and whole chicken fryers are just 77 cents per pound. And, of course, there's no need for coupons to pick up the produce bargains at Aldi, which include 29-cent cucumbers this week.

With a little coupon magic, there are deals on Pure Protein bars, 2 liters of Sun Drop soda, Ken's salad dressing, Ball Park Franks and buns, Nutella and Snackwell's snack bars.

And then there are the unadvertised killer deals: Dove ice cream bars for as little as $1.24 per box and jugs of Xtra laundry detergent for $1.49.

Don't like that brand? All laundry detergent is just $1.99 a jug at Harris Teeter and $2 a jug at Lowes Foods.

Also noteworthy is Lowes Foods' Mother's Day special, its brand-new set of in-store coupons and its fuel rewards deal when you purchase participating $25 gift cards.

Read on for the very best deals at Harris Teeter, Lowes Foods, Food Lion and Aldi. And please add any good deals you spot so we can all save even more.

For easier price comparisons, I've also added the Kroger deals from Sunday to the bottom of the list.

Here's a great deal from Hallmark -- just in time for all those spring card-purchasing occasions.

Head over to the Hallmark website HERE to print a coupon for $5 off any $10 purchase at a Hallmark Gold Crown store.

I'm thinking Mother's Day, Father's Day and those May and June graduations.

Here's the first of what I'm hoping will be many Mother's Day freebies.

Bath & Body Works is giving away free travel-size items from its Signature collection.

All you have to do is send your favorite mom -- or friend -- a message through Facebook and they'll receive your greeting along with a coupon for the freebie.

Head over HERE to get in on the freebie.

Just starting with Mother's Day weekend staring you down? You've either procrastinated or been stumped for the perfect gift.

Too late for online ordering.

Fret not because we have a few ideas priced from budget friendly to feeling guilty.

Photo Gallery: Mother's Day gadget and tech gifts

This photo was taken of reader Sandra Johnston Carringer, center, with her mother, Katie Johnston, and sister, Mary Lou Johnston Wolfe, in 1960 while her mother prepares a Red Velevet Cake.

We collected several lovely stories and photos from readers throughout the state and even though we were not able to get them all into print, we were able to share the photos online.  Check out our  photo gallery for some great nostalgic images and food memories.